Minnesota Dem Party Chair Ken Martin topped Wisconsin’s Ben Wikler to become the next head of the national party, winning a majority on the first ballot.
Martin received 246.5 votes, while Wikler received 134.5 votes. With 428 members voting, 214.5 were needed for a majority.
Going into the vote, Wikler had posted on X that he had the support of 183 DNC members.
Immediately after winning, Martin stressed party unity. He said the fight is against Donald Trump and the billionaires trying to buy the country.
“The fight’s not in here. The fight is out there,” Martin said.
Wikler, the Wisconsin state chair since 2019, and Martin went into the election as the frontrunners in the eight-person field. During their speeches ahead of the votes, Marianne Williamson, a former presidential candidate, and Nate Snyder, a former official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ended their bids and endorsed Martin.
In a statement, Wikler urged his backers to work with Martin to ensure the party “rises to this moment of crisis in our country.” He also turned his attention to Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race this spring.
“For all those who poured themselves into the campaign, we have another critical fight ahead,” Wikler said. “Wisconsin’s April 1 state Supreme Court race will determine the future of abortion access, union rights, freedom, and democracy in the Badger State. Let’s take a breath and get back to work.”
In the days leading up to the vote, Wikler announced he had been backed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and current House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York. He was also backed by Senate Dem Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York.
Wikler also launched Forward PAC Inc. to support his bid for national chair. According to its filing with the FEC, Wikler raised $726,562 between Nov. 26 and Dec. 31 while spending $184,456. The bulk of what he raised came from a $250,000 donation from LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and another $250,000 from Democracy PAC, which was created by George Soros to help Dem candidates.
Also at the meeting in Maryland, Wisconsin’s Jason Rae won a third term as the party’s secretary. He received 338.5 votes to 68.5 for Marilyn Davis, who worked as deputy chief of staff for former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine.
Rae was first elected to the DNC at 17, becoming the youngest person ever elected to the national party.
After the results were announced, Rae told party members, “From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you, and I’m ready to keep serving you each and every day.”